Everything You Need to Know About Ngos

Introduction

It is already a widely acknowledged fact that the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of the government must check and balance each other. However, in certain cases, these branches of government are simply not enough to take a deeper look into what ordinary citizens need. Non-state institutions must also participate in this vital system of checks and balances. These institutions include media, academia, religious institutions, and most importantly, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as a result of Article 71 of the 1945 UN Charter. NGOs work to contribute to the realization of human rights, the full elimination and reduction of poverty, the protection of the environment, and, lastly, the achievement of sustainable development patterns. These issues, however, are complex and multilayered. Since their inception, NGOs across the world have started to cooperate and communicate with each other to strengthen and improve their impact. But how did NGOs get this far? They have surely changed and revised their development strategy since their emergence, but what was the root cause of this change? This study will show that although there have been numerous criticisms of NGOs' efficiency since the beginning, NGOs have actually successfully developed and progressed throughout history by adapting their development strategies. This was a necessary and crucial step for NGOs to take because state institutions and public policy were not able to address the root of the problem.

NGOs as a Response to Financial and Social Challenges

With the collapse of financial resources and intensifying poverty, both national governments and donors had no choice but to look directly at NGOs as a method to deliver benefits directly and, more importantly, affordably to the poor. Consequently, NGOs became more aware of their potential to attract national and international funding successfully. They were seen as platforms not just for receiving beneficiaries and support but also for providing aid. With this in mind, NGOs initially appeared to successfully demonstrate their function in addressing “people-centered development issues” (Korten, 1990, p. 147). However, as new challenges emerged, there were demands that required NGOs to conceive of and adapt their activities to match the current system. Responding to these challenges placed many new NGOs in “unaccustomed” roles that demanded new kinds of competence (Korten, 1990). This study will later present a distinction between three generations of voluntary development actions and how their development actions changed over time.

Diversity and Orientation of NGOs

There are more than 10 million NGOs currently operating today, and they are rich in the diversity of their purposes and experiences (Global Journal, 2013). Nevertheless, it is still possible to define and categorize three basic distinctive orientations in their unique programming strategies: relief and welfare, local self-reliance, and sustainable systems development. Starting with the ‘relief and welfare’ aspect of early NGOs, countless international NGOs began as aid-giving, charitable relief organizations. Organizations like Save the Children, World Vision, and CARE all fall under the category of ‘delivering welfare service’ (Edwards & Hulme, 1996). These models were also seen in some local, national NGOs such as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee or BRAC. BRAC focused on meeting immediate demands through quick and direct actions. Direct actions included the distribution of food, the provision of shelter, and the deployment of health benefit teams. It is important to note that NGOs primarily serving direct needs and services are funded by private contributions. Furthermore, the target for these NGOs was mainly families and individuals in need of help. In fact, all of the beneficiaries—families and people in desperate need—were solely dependent on the presence of an NGO in their specific region or town. An interesting phenomenon that occurred due to the first-generation organizations was that there was now a platform for people to express their desire to share with those less fortunate (Korten, 1990, p. 148). Organizations like BRAC and Save the Children gave birth to a first generation of “private voluntary development assistance” where these organizations brought their own unique expertise into fields. Again, these organizations were funded by private donors, and the amount of work done depended solely on the field workers. In other words, work evaluation was missing, and there was no indicator of whether the job was getting done. While the assistance offered by NGOs was suitable for the emerging emergency situations, it did not contribute to the actual self-ability of the poor. To meet a sustainable basis, the first generation of NGOs' work was deficient.

Challenges Faced by First-Generation NGOs

For the most part, relief efforts certainly remained an appropriate and essential response to emergency situations, which required immediate and direct humanitarian aid. In some cases, welfare assistance might have been more than enough. However, there were areas in which the first-generation NGOs could not ameliorate due to other factors. First, NGOs during this era were extremely donor-fund based. Michael Bratton, who studies NGO relations in Africa, expressed it this way: “Their existence, not just merely dependence, is on donor money” (Bratton, 1989). He later added that the NGO boom was only possible because of a “spending spree” launched by donors. This was clearly shown in the example of BRAC, which was only able to expand due to major inputs from European and Canadian aid-giving agencies (Korten, 1990). In addition, there were cases where NGO staff were expected to demonstrate success in their work. However, to renew and sustain their support from donors, NGO staff were prone to “fudge” data to suit their clients’ needs (Zaidi, 1999). Correspondingly, there were harsh criticisms of NGOs' work integrity and their over-dependence on donor funding. However, the first-generation NGOs did not cease to move forward with their objectives and continued their act of revision with an advanced development strategy that will be shown in the second generation.

Conclusion

NGOs have played a pivotal role in addressing the gaps left by governmental institutions and policies, adapting over time to meet the complex challenges of development. Although they have faced criticism, particularly regarding their dependence on donor funding and the integrity of their work, NGOs have evolved and diversified their strategies to enhance their impact. By understanding the evolution of NGOs through different generations, we can better appreciate their contributions to global development and the need for ongoing adaptation and innovation.